The WBC and WBO Bantamweight Champion Dina Thorslund retained her belts, stopping Mary Romero in the eighth round.

The champion had to deal with plenty entering into the fight. She had been preparing to face Seren Cetin with the aim of then targeting an undisputed bout. But that all changed as the Turkish fighter had been forced to withdraw.

Serin pulled out after sustaining cuts over her eye in sparring as Romero took her place. The Spaniard could have had a better record coming into the fight since she had lost two out of her previous three fights. But she had the chance to upset the applecart.

Thorslund Takes Control

Thorslund attempted to exert her control right from the off, pinning Romero on the ropes. The fast start resulted in the challenger trying speculative shots as Thorslund pierced the guard with her body shots to take the opener.

Romero did much better in the second. She landed with several right hands, including one over the top, as the champion became careless. However, Thorslund reminded everyone what she could do with a right of her own before the end of the second.

The champion was well ahead as Romero could only offer pot shots from the back foot as she stayed out of range. But she was in deep waters once the Spaniard was on the ropes. Thorsland connected with a right hand to the body, taking her ahead with a clear lead.

Thorslund Ends It

The same pattern continued after the halfway stage. Romero was being hit from every angle, forcing her to complain of a head butt in the sixth to get a momentary period of rest. The game plan was to make it to the final bell. However, the champion had other plans.

Thorslund hit Romero with a right uppercut in the eigth. That caused her to turn back, forcing the referee to wave off the fight. While Romero wanted to continue, her failure to return fire was enough to end the bout. The win meant Thorsland extended her undefeated record to 21-0.

Co-Main Event

In chief support, Hamza Hussein secured a unanimous decision win over Stefan Mihailov in a cruiserweight clash. Hussein, better known as ‘The Assassin,’ was in control from the first round. His left hand was particularly damaging, as Mihailov fell short with his punches.

As the Serbian attempted to close the distance, Hussein kept his opponent at bay, using his reach advantage expertly. Mihailov would pay for his lack of offense, getting dropped in the third round with a sweeping left hook.

While he recovered to make it to the end of the round, another left landed in the fourth. By the fifth round, Mihailov’s eye was pouring with blood. He did make it to the final bell, but Hussein took the decision on the cards: 60-53, 60-53, 60-53.

Other Bouts

Mikaela Lauren beat Mariami Nutsubidze – Welterweight (Nutsubidze retired with a dislocated shoulder at the end of the first round)

Nikola Mandic beat Thorbjørn Boudigaard via a first-round KO – Cruiserweight